World superbike preview: Misano

The 2014 Superbike World Championship visits Misano from June 20-22, with Honda rider Jonathan Rea the only member of the current brigade to have won at Misano before – a feat he achieved way back in 2009.

Despite a difficult performance at Sepang a fortnight’s ago, Rea is still third in the standings and 22 points shy of championship leader and current world champion Tom Sykes (Kawasaki). Like second-placed Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia), who is just 13 points from the top, Rea took the most out of the reigning champion’s DNF in the first encounter to limit the damage and maintain a strong position in the title race.

On the other hand, Guintoli did not manage to fully capitalise from Sykes’ unlucky crash in race one, as his teammate Marco Melandri twice edged him out to secure a crucial double win. The Italian rider finally made it to the top step of the podium as a factory Aprilia rider, narrowing the gap to the top from 88 to 54 points. Kawasaki’s Loris Baz is fourth in the standings, 31 points behind his teammate Sykes.

Sykes (pictured) has never been in the top three at Misano, despite being the polesitter in the last editions. But the Yorkshireman isn’t too fussed.

“In the combination of myself, the bike and the team I feel confident that we can be competitive anywhere,” he said. “My hand is slowly improving and we are back on track this weekend, so we will see how we go for the races on Sunday.

“Misano is no t the most enjoyable layout as a rider because it is very small and there is not so much room to let the Ninja ZX-10R get rolling. It is the same for everybody, however, and I feel have ridden well there in the past.”

Davide Giugliano (Ducati) had one of the best races of his WSBK career at Misano in 2012, as he led the first outing for five laps before being overtaken by Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa – both now retired – and eventually finished third.

Eugene Laverty (Suzuki) is looking forward to the second Italian round of the season, after returning to the podium for the first time since the season opener at Sepang. Laverty is no stranger to winning at Misano himself, having prevailed in the 2010 world supersport race.

Other contenders a Misano will include Chaz Davies (Ducati), Toni Elias (Aprilia), Leon Haslam (Honda) and Alex Lowes (Suzuki), the twin brother of 2013 world supersport champion Sam Lowes.

Australia’s Bryan Staring (Kawasaki) should be back to full fitness at Misano, after sitting out Donington with the injuries he received from a mountain bike crash and then still riding under duress at Sepang. Staring rides an EVO-spec machine.

Meanwhile, fledgling outfit Team Hero EBR secured its best result of the season at Sepang, with Aaron Yates narrowly missing the team’s first championship point with 16th in the opening Malaysian race.

In world supersport, Dutchman Michael van der Mark (Honda) and Frenchman Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta) are one and two in the standings ahead of Misano.